Press, Ratings and Reviews

Wine Enthusiast Stars of Southern Spain Anciano 5yr 2005Among Spanish wine regions, it is the northern
names—Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Toro,
Bierzo and Rías Baixas, among others—
that regularly draw the flashy headlines.
However, if big red wines, fortified wines
in myriad styles and traditionally crafted
sweet wines get your mouth watering,
then it's the south of Spain that merits
attention.
From the dry plains of La Mancha east to the
sea-kissed Levante and down through historic
Andalucía, southern Spain is home to most of
the country's top wines made from lusty varieties
like Syrah, Monastrell (Mourvèdre), Garnacha
(Grenache), Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
It's also where one finds Spain's best fortified and
dessert wines: dry Sherries from Jerez, luscious
Pedro Ximénez-based wines from Montilla-
Moriles and sweet Moscatels from Málaga.
It used to be easy to dismiss southern Spain
as a sprawling, sun-baked land responsible for
mostly subpar wines with high alcohol, odd
or raisiny flavors and poor balance. Although
southern Spain's hot, dry climate still produces
many chunky, baked, sometimes wacky-tasting
wines, it also yields jewels that boast size,
powerful flavors, finely roasted earthy nuances
and exquisite balance.
"I don't accept that the south is overly challenged,"
says Xandra Falcó, general manager
of her family's Dominio de Valdepusa, which
makes wine under the Marqués de Griñón label
from vineyards near Toledo in La Mancha.
"Every region in the world has its good
wines and its bad ones," she says. "If you care
for your vines, control your macerations and
have a winemaker that understands the grape
varieties and the terroir, you can make fine
wine. It's always more a matter of who is behind
the wines than where they come from."
To simplify southern Spain, think of it as
being divided into three regions. The biggest
and most amorphous subsection is southcentral
Spain, which includes La Mancha,
Valdepeñas and smaller Denominaciónes... More Details

Vega
Barcelona Cava
Rating: 88 points“Dusty, creamy, powdered sugar aromas are nice and easygoing, while the palate has balance and a mouthfeel that caresses solid apple, citrus and peach flavors. Crisp on the finish, with a decent amount of elegance for a $15 wine. Hard to go wrong with this bubbly”.